Our Selection Criteria

Blue Meridian identifies, researches and vets outstanding strategies for children and youth living in poverty. We assess each strategy according to key criteria.

Selection Criteria

Blue Meridian is building a best-in-class portfolio of investments that are transforming the lives of children and youth living in poverty and are poised to make a national impact on a problem at scale. We conduct our own extensive research to identify promising strategies and maintain an active pipeline for investment.

Key to our performance-based investment approach is a rigorous selection process that vets all prospects against six criteria.

Strong Leadership

A visionary and capable leader and leadership team, including a board, have the skills and experience to lead the organization through transformative growth.

Compelling Vision

The strategy addresses an important social problem affecting young people in the US, ages 0-30, in low-income and high-risk circumstances. There is an ambitious vision for solving this problem at national scale.

Track Record of Growth

There is a history of strong performance, with past success scaling their efforts at a level that is meaningful within the context of the target population.

Evidence of Effectiveness

There is a combination of baseline external evidence, internal performance management and commitment to future evaluation that meet rigorous yet practical standards. This evidence, when viewed holistically, demonstrates the potential for achieving meaningful outcomes at scale.

Pathway to Scale

A clear pathway exists to acheive scale and reach a high percentage of the target population.

Sustainable Economic Model

There is a reasonable hypothesis that philanthropic growth capital can catalyze scale and renewable and reliable revenue sources will cover ongoing operational costs.